A grocery store reborn, a 400-person village on the rise, and a $250K goal that got crushed
Big wins don't always make headlines.
A town of 400 that refuses to board up its downtown. A county that lost its only grocery store — and got it back. A community foundation that set a $250,000 goal and blew past it.
None of it made national news. All of it mattered.
Here are three real wins from small towns this year.
🛒 LOCAL WIN #1 — A Grocery Store Comes Back From the Ashes
In January 2024, a fire destroyed the only grocery store in Dighton, Kansas — a small town in Lane County where residents suddenly had a choice between the local Dollar General and a drive to Scott City or Garden City just to buy food.
Two years later, they're getting their store back. Fundraising led by the Lane County Community Foundation turned the loss into a rebuilding effort, and the new store is near completion. "People have just opened up their hearts and their wallets," said foundation director Casey Venters. "People want to be a part of something great."
Don Hineman, who helped lead the grocery board, put it plainly: a grocery store is one of the three legs of a community's stool — alongside schools and health care. Lose one, and "the future of the community is absolutely in doubt."
They refused to lose it. Read the story at KSN News
💛 LOCAL WIN #2 — The $250,000 Goal That Got Crushed
The Armour Community Foundation in Armour, South Dakota set a goal: raise $250,000 by the end of 2025 to strengthen a permanent endowment that funds scholarships, grants, and community projects for generations.
In April, they announced they'd passed it — unlocking an extra $31,250 matching grant from the Lillibridge Family Fund through the South Dakota Community Foundation. Board members spent months meeting with residents, alumni, and former townspeople face to face. "When people give to the foundation," said longtime volunteer Bob Goodnow, "they are giving a gift that keeps on giving forever. How can you beat that?"
The endowment has been running since 2001, paying out roughly 4.5% of its value every year while preserving the principal. Read the story in The Daily Republic
🏘️ LOCAL WIN #3 — The Village That Won't Board Up
Tontogany, Ohio has fewer than 400 residents. It also has a pickleball court, a gaga ball pit, a disc golf course, an annual "Togany Fest" complete with a bed race, and — as of this year — a downtown art district.
Artist Gail Christofferson moved her business, Animal House Glass, into downtown Tontogany and started showing up at village council meetings with a question: what happens to our little town? "We don't want to be a boarded-up little country town," she said.
Plans now include updated storefronts, a new mural, and new businesses opening in the coming years. "Small doesn't mean that we're not active with our community," Christofferson said. Read the story at WTOL
🍎 THE RECIPE BOX — Spiced Hibiscus Cider Punch
Nothing says small-town fall like cider from a local orchard. Here's a batch recipe that turns a gallon of it into something worth sharing — perfect for a porch gathering, a fall festival, or a potluck where you want to bring the thing everyone asks about.
Ingredients
1 gallon fresh-pressed apple cider (from your nearest orchard)
4 cups water
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
3 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 orange, sliced
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
Optional: 2 cups ginger beer, added just before serving for fizz
Directions (1/2)
Bring the water to a simmer, add the hibiscus, cinnamon, and cloves, and steep 10 minutes off the heat.
Strain into a large pot with the cider, then warm gently — do not boil.
Stir in the honey or maple syrup and add the orange slices. Simmer 5 minutes.
Ladle into mugs, or chill and serve over ice with ginger beer for a fizzy version.
Hibiscus brings a tart, cranberry-like finish that makes cider taste like something you'd pay for at a café. It's the kind of flavor combination food and beverage makers chase all year — the folks at Brookside Flavors & Ingredients build their whole business around getting combos like this to market, working with brands on flavors for everything from beverages to snacks to alternative proteins right here in the Midwest. Worth a look if you're a maker with an idea brewing.
💬 YOUR TURN
Know a local win we should feature? Hitting "reply" is the easiest way to get involved — if you're already active in your community, awesome. If you don't know where to start, this is a great place.
Good things are happening in small towns. They just need someone to say so out loud.
Talk soon,
Levi Gold
Fall River Chamber
P.S. The best local wins are the ones nobody hears about. Send one our way and we'll help it travel....
